Val Lee's Writings

I am always blessed when I hear of hurting people finding everlasting hope. My husband, Alan, told me recently of an Idaho prisoner who was handed a Gideon Bible, which he put to work—making cigarettes—its pages being perfectly suited for rolling tobacco. In time, curiosity got the best of this offender and he started reading what he rolled. It didn’t take long before he surrendered his life to Christ. A former chaplain who still visits with prisoners relayed this to Alan who was greatly uplifted and he passed it on to me for my blessing.

Another blessing came our way when we heard this testimony: A prostitute on a desperately dark night planned to commit her suicide, having plummeted to the bottom of despair and loneliness. Before committing this fatal act, she felt she should pen a note—isn’t that what everyone does at such a time? The wallpaper hanging off the wall in her filthy and rundown hotel room caught her eye, the only available paper in her lifeless quarters. Upon it, she would write her death farewell. Her mental preparation became interrupted when she caught sight of a Gideon Bible. She had noticed this book before in the numerous hotel rooms she had occupied for pleasure sake. She even looked through it on occasion, sometimes reading left notes. But it meant nothing to her, it was simply an item of question—who left it for her and why? This night, it somehow appeared different and it attracted her heart. She took hold of it and started feeding on its pages in all belief.

The saving grace of salvation poured out to this victim of hopelessness on that fateful eve, saving her from self-destruction and doomed destruction. Isn’t it a blessing to know that God is at work everywhere exercising His unconditional love, reaching out to all who are lost; John 12:32 and 3:16? He is reaching out to you if you do not know Him.

Jesus Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood for your wrong conduct and mine (John 3:16 and Roman 3:23-26), and came back to life—being raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). Jesus Christ now lives eternally in heaven, as true Christians will one day. In heaven, Christians will be set free from all sin, pain and sorrow—this resulting in unending joy. Christians still sin here on the earth and need to ask forgiveness when they act wrongly (1 John 1:9). However, obedient Christians are no longer held in sin’s slavery (Romans 6:5-6).

God does ask that you count the cost before you choose to follow Christ and become a Christian. God does change desires and behavior and you can lose friends as you strive to please a righteous and holy God. You can be terribly mistreated and hated for loving Him. Yet, the immeasurable benefits are worth it all.